US Navy Sailors Pay for Meals Even While Deployed at Sea

U.S. Navy sailors continue to pay for meals while deployed at sea, according to the United States Naval Institute (USNI).

In early August 2024, crew members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) were charged $407.65 for a month of meals on the ship.

Under Title 37 of the U.S. Code, the Secretary of War is required to “establish rates for meals sold in messes to officers, civilians, and enlisted members.”

In 2025, the discounted daily meal rate is $13.30, compared with $13.14 in 2024. Service members must pay the full daily rate regardless of how many meals they actually consume.

The same section of Title 37 allows the Secretary of Defense to reduce the cost of meals by an amount attributable to operating expenses. In practice, this means the charge could be reduced to zero.

Such arrangements are not uncommon. At forward bases operated by the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, service members are typically not charged for meals.

USNI said requiring Navy sailors to pay for meals while at sea diverges from the practices of other military branches and places an additional financial burden on personnel.

During a 2024 deployment, Aircraft Carrier Strike Group 11 performed missions to support regional partners and maintain stability in the Middle East. Some aircraft were detached from the carrier and redeployed to U.S. Air Force bases.

Those bases have permanent infrastructure, including dining facilities, stores and recreational areas.

Navy personnel operating in the same area of responsibility were transferred from the ship’s mess to Air Force dining facilities and were no longer required to pay for meals.
A similar exemption applied to Navy personnel assigned to the Joint Air Operations Center in Qatar. Dining facilities at Al Udeid Air Base are also free of charge.
Sailors who remained aboard the aircraft carrier, however, continued to pay for meals in full, regardless of whether they used the mess.
USNI stated that meal prices aboard Navy ships are elevated and in many cases exceed what a civilian would pay for comparable food ashore.